The invention concerns a switch cabinet for servers and similar devices, particularly parts of sensitive computer devices, whose interior area is connected to gas bottles containing fire extinguishing gas and is continuously supplied with fresh air via a ventilator, with early fire detection sensors being switched into the exhaust air current outside of the interior area and the connection being activated in case of fire.
Switch cabinets serve the purpose of housing equipment and devices with which entire systems or groups of machines can be controlled and operated. Suitable switch cabinets can also house servers and other highly sensitive computer devices to which access by unauthorized personnel is to be denied and which, at the same time, are to be protected from other influencing factors, sometimes even of climatic kind. Beyond this, it is known to install in switch cabinets appropriate devices and equipment that can auto ignite and thus place themselves, but also their environment, at risk. Attempts are made to deoxidize the possibly occurring flame with inert gas. Appropriate switch cabinets and similar devices, however, have so far not been able to conquer the market due to the extensive amount of work that is involved.
From DE-OS 34 33 459, a device for early detection of fires and of overheating on housings and cabinets that enclose electric or electronic systems is known. For this, smoke detection occurs immediately at the air exhaust vent of the unit that is being monitored, e.g. with the help of an intake funnel. It also presents a device used to monitor electric equipment with regard to fire protection. FR 523 455 describes a switching system for a combined smoke alarm and fire extinguishing unit, which however unfortunately releases a fire-extinguishing agent, preventing the devices installed in the cabinet from being used any further. EP 459 944 suggests the utilization of carbon dioxide as a fire-extinguishing agent in order to be able to effectively handle only the system affected by the fire and thus limit fire and extinguishing damage to a minimum. For this, a fire detector is provided for in the warm air current of the system that is to be protected as well as an outlet orifice of the container with the fire-extinguishing agent within the housing of the system. With this design, however, lacking reliability of this control system proved to be disadvantageous because no samples are actively collected and no prompt or satisfactory fire-extinguishing procedure occurs in case of fire. Generated smoke reaches the fire detectors more or less by accident, which then triggers the release of carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide then pushes oxygen out of the system through orifices until the flame has been extinguished. Subsequent fires cannot be prevented.